Seeing the world from Davos

The World Economic Forum in Davos is the brainchild of Klaus Schwab, a Swiss German whose motto is 'committed to improving the state of the world'.

Originally known as the European Management Seminar, it was a European think-tank trying to come to grips with what Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber had called 'Le Defi Americain' - the perception that US corporations were taking over the world.

Its scope expanded to a cast of thousands. It organises regional conferences throughout the year, but the January meeting captures the headlines, not least because of the world leaders and other celebrities who attend. This year's theme was the shifting balance of power. More offbeat attractions were sessions on 'Why do Brains Sleep?' and 'Science and Spirituality - a Search for Common Ground'.

But the big topic was global warming, though this did not stop the snow from falling after a 'the fields are still green' scare at the start of the week.